Myocardial Expression of PD-L1 as a Marker of Poor Prognosis in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–Associated Myocarditis

JACC CardioOncology 2026 Open access

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Authors: Takuro Imaoka, Shingo Sakashita, Satoshi Matsuoka, Kimi Sato, Yoichi Naito, Genki Okumura, Shohei Koyama, Koji Hozawa, Yuka Nakamura, Yuma Shibutani, Tomoko Ishizu, Ikuo Sekine
+1 more Kazuko Tajiri
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2026.03.006
Cited by: 3
References: 38

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved cancer outcomes but are associated with severe immune-related adverse events, including myocarditis. PD-L1 plays an important role in immune regulation and homeostasis. Myocardial PD-L1 up-regulation has been reported in ICI-associated myocarditis; however, its clinical significance and prognostic value remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the association between myocardial PD-L1 expression and ICI-associated myocarditis severity and prognosis. METHODS: Twenty consecutive cases of biopsy-proven ICI-associated myocarditis were analyzed. Endomyocardial biopsy specimens underwent immunohistochemical staining for PD-L1, and patients were categorized into high (≥8%) or low (

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases Viral Infections and Immunology Research

Publication details

Journal / source
JACC CardioOncology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
8
Issue
2
Pages
168–180
Publication date
1 April 2026
Language
EN